August 7, 2026
Eustis Junior Ethan Jackson Commits to Play Baseball at Stetson University
By Kyle Coppola
Eustis Junior Ethan Jackson Commits to Play Baseball at Stetson University
Eustis High School junior Ethan Jackson has committed to play baseball at Stetson University, continuing his academic and athletic career with the Hatters.
Ethan is a versatile two-way contributor for the Panthers and he played a key role during his sophomore season as Eustis compiled a 17-15 record and advanced to the FHSAA Regional Final playoff series.
At the plate, he hit .330 with 30 hits, leading the team with 27 RBIs while adding nine doubles, 18 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. On the mound, Jackson was perfect, posting a 4-0 record and recording 38 strikeouts.
Eustis coach Tony Thomas praised Jackson’s dedication and growth both on and off the field.
“Watching Ethan grow into the young man and baseball player he is today has been special,” says Thomas. “As a coach, you hope you get the opportunity to work with kids who truly buy into the process, and Ethan has done that. He’s put in the work, handled adversity, continued to mature and never stopped believing in where baseball could take him.”
Coach Thomas also mentioned how it’s great to see players who put in all of those early mornings and long practices pay off.
“His commitment to Stetson is bigger than just getting the opportunity to play Division I baseball. It’s the reward for years of early mornings, long practices, extra reps and sacrifices that most people never get to see. I’ve watched him earn this.”
Ethan comes into his junior season as one of the most exciting young baseball prospects in Lake County. His ability to drive in runs makes him extremely dangerous at the plate. That is something that Eustis head coach Tony Thomas did a lot of in his professional baseball career which was driving home runs and scoring.
“I’m incredibly proud of Ethan, not only because of the player he has become, but because of the young man he represents our program and community as,” says Thomas. “Stetson is getting a competitor, a great teammate and someone who is going to continue to work for everything he gets.”
Ethan’s commitment marks another success for the Eustis program, which has developed players capable of competing at the collegiate level including multiple players currently contributing to MLB rosters like Kerry Carpenter with the Detroit Tigers and Brady Singer with the Cincinnati Reds among others.
“This is a special moment for Ethan and his family, but I truly believe it’s only the beginning,” says Thomas. “His best baseball is still in front of him, and I couldn’t be more excited to watch what he does at the next level.”
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
